Chapter 31: Side: Satou Maaya ②

『O-Onee-chan… I-I want glasses.』

『Glasses?』

This was before Ayane entered middle school.

In terms of timing, it was around late March.

My sister suddenly said she wanted glasses.

『Are your eyes bad?』

『N-No… it’s not like that, but…』

『So, you mean fake glasses?』

『Y-Yeah, fake glasses. I want the kind Onee-chan wears when you go out…』

『Eh, these…?』

I take out an unfashionable pair of black-rimmed glasses from my desk drawer.

Ayane nodded vigorously.

『These are for disguise, you know? I choose the least flattering, least cute ones on purpose so people won’t recognize me as Satou Maaya…』

『Y-Yeah, those… I want those kind.』

『Why? You’re not an idol, Ayane-chan.』

『…A-Ayane-chan?』

My sister tilted her head.

『Ahh, sorry, you didn’t like it?』

『N-No, I was just surprised.』

『I see, that’s good then. I’m going to be a high school student soon, you know. At this age, middle schoolers are still like children. …And besides, Ayane-chan sounds cute, right?』

That’s what I said, but it’s actually completely different.

This nonsensical use of “-chan” is my own form of tough love.

To heal my sister’s wounded heart after that day.

It’s not exactly rough… but a bit forceful.

I wanted her to say, “Don’t tease me too much, Onee-chan”.

However, my sister just smiled wryly and nodded.

『Ahh, so you want glasses? Ones that don’t suit you.』

『…Yeah.』

Before the awkward atmosphere could settle in, I returned to the topic and somehow ended up nodding.

『Alright! Then Onee-chan will buy Ayane-chan the most unfitting glasses!』

My sister is cute.

Exceptionally cute.

So I interpreted it as her wanting to avoid unwanted attention outside.

As an idol, as a disguise professional, I decided to choose the perfect pair of glasses that wouldn’t suit her at all.

And so, Ayane became a middle school student.

I also entered high school, and my work opportunities increased.

Disguises were meaningless at a school where my real name was known, but being an idol meant I never lacked topics for conversation with friends.

Fun days.

They were fulfilling.

But about a month later.

While I was busy with work and high school life, Ayane had changed completely.

She lacked energy.

She was slouching, looking unhappy, and rarely smiled.

When she did smile occasionally, it was mostly a forced one, as if her cheeks were twitching.

Her once beautiful black hair had grown long and messy.

And she started to avoid going out to the extreme.

You could say she stopped going outside entirely except for school.

I never saw her talking to anyone outside our family… not even our mother, father, or me.

『Hey… are you okay these days?』

Even when I asked, she would just nod with an awkward smile and not talk about it.

In the end, Ayane kept her heart closed throughout her three years of middle school.

She was worried about what happened in elementary school…

That was obvious, but I, who had easily shown the “anger” Ayane hated the most, couldn’t do anything about it.

Nor could I rely on our father or mother when Ayane wasn’t talking.

No, maybe I should have relied on them.

But I…

As the eldest daughter of the Satou family, who inherited our parents’ blood strongly, I couldn’t imagine those two staying calm if they heard about the ones who hurt Ayane.

Overprotective.

Naive.

I fought these ghostly critics in my head over and over.

Still, as someone involved…

I had no choice but to bet that time would heal things.

And so, time passed…

Ayane became a high school student, and I became a university student.

Ayane’s middle school life was completely colorless, even from an outsider’s perspective.

She didn’t make a single friend.

As her sister, it was clear from her daily behavior.

At High school… I prayed that high school wouldn’t be the same.

I prayed so many times.

Because it’s supposed to be the most fun time in life.

Even if it’s not, the three years a girl spends as a high school student are undoubtedly very, very important in life.

It’s a time for studying, playing… and maybe even falling in love.

So, please…

Please let Ayane have a high school life where she can smile…

That’s what I prayed for, when I received a call from my mother.

『Ayane seems to have been a victim of molestation.』

My mind went blank the moment I heard it.

I was at work, but since I had a break, I explained the situation and was allowed to go home.

She must be crouching and crying again.

What should I say to her…

This time, I have to be truly on Ayane’s side.

Thinking this, I returned home to find Ayane eating dinner with an unexpectedly calm demeanor.

『Ah… Onee-chan, welcome back.』

Ayane said with a smile.

I didn’t understand.

Moreover, it wasn’t the strained smile she had recently.

It was a soft smile that reminded me of the past.

I understood even less.

After hearing the story, I felt a bit relieved.

Ayane had been molested, but apparently someone nearby helped her.

──Light Novels──

──Read Here──

She said it was a classmate named “Hinata-kun”.

Thanks to him, the damage was minimal.

I was happy.

I couldn’t believe how happy I was that someone had helped Ayane.

Thinking about that person I had never met, never seen… Hinata-kun, brought tears to my eyes.

After that, Ayane began to change.

No, to be precise, she began to regain her heart.

She started returning to the Ayane of old.

And astonishingly, within less than a week, Ayane’s hair regained the luster it had in its prime.

Her expressions became more varied, and she started smiling cutely again.

Her personality also began to change, slowly regaining confidence, and she almost stopped having that frightened look or way of speaking.

…I really didn’t understand.

Something… no, someone had easily accomplished what I had struggled with for so long.

They had restored Ayane’s old vitality.

It was clear from Ayane’s smile when she said his name who had done it.

Hinata-kun.

That person saved Ayane.

He saved her…

Not just from the molester, but also from the deep wounds of elementary school.

On a Sunday.

On my way home from work, I spotted Ayane at the station and called out to her.

Unbelievably, Ayane was with a boy, and it looked like they had gone shopping, as he was carrying several large paper bags.

A well-built, handsome guy.

That was my first impression.

The clothes he was wearing suited him well, so he must be interested in fashion or have someone like that close to him.

He seemed cautious for a moment when I suddenly called out to Ayane, but quickly returned to a calm expression when he realized I was her acquaintance, showing a mature adaptability.

Even when I interacted with him in a slightly annoying way, he didn’t show any signs of dislike.

Honestly, I was a bit panicked at that time.

Because first, Ayane was outside on a day off.

Then, it seemed she had brought a friend.

And moreover, that friend was a boy…

Above all, Ayane wasn’t wearing the “unfitting glasses” I had chosen for her.

That meant she wanted to interact with people.

She wanted someone to see her cute self.

She wanted to stand next to someone as her full self.

That’s what it meant.

Then I found out that the boy standing next to Ayane was the “Hinata-kun” from before, and I almost lost it.

When I teased, “Was it a date?”, Ayane denied it shyly, but she seemed a little pleased as she glanced at Hinata-kun’s reaction.

Is this… “that kind” of thing?

For the first time, I realized that women’s intuition really existed.

Ayane had made a friend.

More than that, she had fallen in love.

I was incredibly happy about that fact.

But there’s the issue from elementary school.

As her sister, I had a duty to question whether Hinata-kun was truly a good person who cared for Ayane.

The result was… no problem.

If anything, I naturally observed him showing subtle care for Ayane time and again.

I’ve spent a fairly long time in the entertainment industry. So I have more than average confidence in spotting people who seem shady or have a rotten core.

Even to me, Hinata-kun seemed like a kind person.

Whether that was his way of treating “friends” or if he also saw Ayane romantically, I couldn’t tell from his behavior, but I could strongly feel that Hinata-kun cared about Ayane.

So, I told Hinata-kun.

『Stay by her side.』

To which he nodded without hesitation.

I thought again, he’s really a good kid.

Ayane changed.

She began to change.

She started returning to her old self.

But seeing Ayane and Hinata-kun together, I was certain.

She didn’t change by her own strength alone.

She started caring about her appearance again and trying not to have a gloomy atmosphere because she desperately wanted him… Hinata-kun.

If that’s the case, she hasn’t overcome her past yet.

If Hinata-kun were to leave Ayane’s side, she might go back to how she was in middle school.

I absolutely didn’t want that.

She had just started smiling brightly again.

She had just started looking energetic again.

If she started being afraid of people again, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for shouting at her that time.

So, if Hinata-kun would continue to stay by Ayane’s side, even if the reason was as bad as wanting to get close to me, an idol… I thought that would be fine.

…But to think he didn’t know who I was.

I’ve been getting a fair amount of media exposure, though.

I felt a little defeated by Ayane.

But I was incredibly happy about it.

And so time caught up to the present…

「Hey, Onee-chan.」

「Hmm? It’s rare for you to come at this hour. What’s up?」

The time was just past midnight.

Ayane visited my room at a time when she would normally be asleep.

Her eyes are a bit red.

But strangely, she didn’t seem to be in any concerning state.

She was radiating a fluffy, happy aura.